That is not to say, though, that government should not be involved in public health. The city’s soft-drink limit helps to educate people about the importance of restricting calories in the interest of controlling weight gain –– as well as heart disease, diabetes and possibly cancer. On average, if New Yorkers reduced their soft-drink sizes from 20 to 16 ounces for one sugary drink every two weeks, with no other dietary changes, they would collectively save 2.3 million pounds of weight in a year, according to city health officials.

The government’s relentless assault on Big Tobacco decreased cigarette consumption in the U.S. by 34 percent from 1990 to 2007, despite the fact that the population grew by 21 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The time has come, it seems to me, for a similar war on Big Soda, with Bloomberg leading the charge.

Scott Brinton is senior editor of the Bellmore and Merrick Heralds and an adjunct professor at the Hofstra University Graduate Journalism Program. Comments? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203. Brinton’s profile and posts can be found at facebook.com/scottabrinton.

Comments

I've been surprised that no one has mentioned the sustainability concerns of the NYC beverage ban. I just put out an editorial discussing this and would be curious to hear your opinion Scott: "Bloomberg Keeps NYC, USA at #1!" http://beverageconsortium.com/index.php/component/content/article/9-news-a-events/711-bloomberg-keeps-nyc-usa-at-1